


Horse Sense

by HASA_Archivist



Category: The Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Other - Freeform, Research Article, Subjects - Animals
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-27
Updated: 2002-09-23
Packaged: 2018-04-06 09:04:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 4,006
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4215792
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HASA_Archivist/pseuds/HASA_Archivist
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dear Friends ~</p><p>The purpose of this article is to share a bit of horse lore with fiction writers who may not have much familiarity with our old friend, the Horse. Please understand that this is not intended to be the definitive end-all of horse facts. I am not a breeder, a veterinarian, a scientist, or any kind of expert. I do not pretend to know more than other horse folks who may read this, and especially not those who may have views differing from or knowledge greater than mine.  What I offer are merely my insights and knowledge of the horse, gained in my twenty years or so of working with them as a guide/outfitter and occasional cowhand.  This article is merely intended as a basic guideline for writers who may not know the Horse, and these are the facts as I, personally, understand them. I hope you will find this collection of both use and enjoyment, and comments or corrections are welcome.</p><p>~ Erin</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Some Notes On Gender

**Author's Note:**

> Note from the HASA Transition Team: This story was originally archived at [HASA](http://fanlore.org/wiki/Henneth_Ann%C3%BBn_Story_Archive), which closed in February 2015. To preserve the archive, we began manually importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in February 2015. We posted announcements about the move, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this author, please contact The HASA Transition Team using the e-mail address on the [HASA collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/hasa/profile).

Horses are to be found as stallions, mares or geldings;

  1. **STALLIONS** \- Also called studs, which are whole, non-castrated males. Nowadays stallions are seldom used as working saddle horses, although some studs DO make fine working horses. However, it takes the right stud and the right handler to make a dependable work team. A stallion can be rather high-strung and unpleasant around other horses, as he may tend to see them in narrow terms of whether he wants to fight them or breed them. This of course could be very dangerous and injurious to other horses, or even other riders. _(I once had the shocking experience of riding a mare, when a stud horse also under saddle decided he wanted to get friendly.)_ In times when stallions were ridden into battle, their dominant, aggressive spirit was thought desirable and channeled to good use, but it can be a detriment to casual riding. If there is a mare in season, his mind may drop you-know-where. Or, he may spend the day prancing and snorting and trying to show all the other horses what a bad dude he is - wearing out himself AND his rider. Furthermore, in days when horses were the power behind most transportation, a stallion would often be unwelcome company. Too many people and boarding stables simply would not want to risk the trouble of a fractious stud horse among their other animals. Again, there ARE quiet, well-mannered, even-tempered stallions out there. Yet the workaday, dependable horse remains ... the gelding. 
  2. **GELDINGS** \- A castrated male horse, of any age. These were and are the standard work horse of the Western world, generally not ruled by mating urges or fighting instincts. However, occasionally you will find a gelding that will mount a mare in season, and some that just plain act "studly." These latter types may have been gelded fairly late in life, retaining stud-like behaviors and attitudes, which is a condition known as "proud cut." 
  3. **MARES** \- The female of the species. In Western society, mares were usually reserved for breeding purposes, and occasionally as a ladies' riding animal. Mares were not traditionally used for work or riding animals, for several reasons. One, mares can be distracting to other horses, given that they come into season about once a month or so, from spring through fall. This can and does create disruptive behaviors among the other saddle stock ~ even geldings. Two, as the mare comes into heat, she can become highly irritable and restless around other horses, and unpleasant to work with. _(You might even say she has PMS!) Not all mares do this, but many do. Three, geldings can become so firmly bonded to a single mare that if she strays during the night ... the entire herd goes with her, unlike if a couple geldings were to wander off alone. This would be disastrous on a long journey in the wilderness. Thus, although not all mares show cranky estrus cycles, and not all mares disrupt herds of geldings, it was a general rule that mares were not the favored work animal. (As a note of interest, I am told that the Arabs felt exactly the opposite, and preferred to ride mares above all other choices!)_



**NOTE:** In wild horse herds, an older, dominant mare will be the actual the boss of the band. The stud seeks mainly to keep other males from breeding them. The boss mare is the one who decides when and where the herd will move, with the stud following. Stallions may come and go, as battles for supremacy change the herd hierarchy, but the mares remain together, and will follow the matriarch, often for years. This pattern remains useful to stock users who travel with numbers of horses and mules, and who may keep one reliable, proven bell mare as a "magnet" to keep their animals together.

MORE ON GENDER:

  * A young male horse is a colt. (If not castrated, it is a stud colt.) 
  * A young female horse is a filly. 
  * A baby of either gender is a foal. 
  * A mare is a female, while the word "horse" was almost exclusively used to mean a male horse, a gelding. Thus; "Was he riding a red horse?" "No, he was riding a red mare." 



Oddly enough, however, "horsing" is a term used to describe a mare's behavior, when she is in heat.


	2. How Does a Horse Travel?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dear Friends ~

Generally speaking, a horse moves at a walk, a trot, a lope, and a gallop. A lope is the Western term for "canter," which is an English/eastern term. The lope/canter is an easy, 3-beat gait which the horse can maintain for a pretty fair distance. A gallop is a full-out run, and a horse cannot maintain that for more than a couple miles or so, before becoming winded. A trot is the equivalent of a marathon runner's long-distance pace. A fit, strong horse can maintain a good trot for many miles, under a knowing rider. A slower pace is the jog, which is a bouncing, easy little gait between a walk and a full trot. Well... normally it's easy. If the horse is all wound up about something, it becomes jigging, not jogging, and that will beat you up like a tether ball, as you struggle to keep him at a slower pace.

In rough country, a rider must match his horse's ability, strength, and agility with the terrain. Going uphill, an experienced trail horse will generally slow down, having to propel both his weight and his rider's upwards. Going downhill... well, surely you saw the Man From Snowy River! Unlike in the movies, horses cannot go like blazes, indefinitely. Yes, they can go farther faster than two-legged folk, but just like you and me, they do need to catch their breath, they need to rest, they need to cool down and get a good drink of water. Three days of hard riding and poor care will knock visible pounds off a horse. A week of that, and he won't even look like the same animal. Good husbandry is the secret to keeping a horse in shape for a long, productive life.


	3. How Much Weight Can a Horse carry?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dear Friends ~

Ideally, an average-sized man and his saddle. In other words, a 140-190 lb man and his 30-40 lb saddle are plenty. Tie on a coat and canteen, maybe a weapon, and you have got a full load. If you throw in 70 pounds of armor and a lance - well, you need a bigger horse.

Saddle bags can be used, yes. However, no prudent man loads up his riding saddle with provisions for a week on the trail. If he stuffs his saddle bags with 50 or so pounds of extra weight, plus his bedroll, he will risk soring up his horse's back, both by putting too much weight behind the cantle and seat, (where the saddle is not really designed to carry such weight,) and also by that same weight bruising the horse's kidneys. In olden days, if a man was going to be riding a long ways, with no stops for meals, lodging, etc., he would bring a pack animal, as well. Thus he could pack along his bedroll, (often meaning a canvas tarp and at least two blankets or quilts,) plus extra clothing, rain gear, food for several days, cooking pots and utinsels, knife and fork, plate, cup, fire-starter of some sort, some string and/or rope, picket rope(s) and picket pin(s), and his few toiletries. For prolonged trips with few towns, he would also be wise to bring along a set of 4 pre-shaped horse shoes for his mount, plus nails, hammer, rasp and nippers, in case ol' Dobbin throws a shoe in the middle of nowhere. Imagine all that "stuff" in a pile - gets kind of huge, doesn't it? Plus, if you've ever tried to swing a leg over a saddle with too much junk tied on behind, you would know what a darned pain in the rear that really is.


	4. How Much Does a Horse need to Eat?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dear Friends ~

The average I have been told all my life, in feeding stock with hay, is that a horse needs 25 pounds of rough feed a day. That means, in order to maintain his weight, fitness, and good tone, he needs to consume 25 lbs of roughage, meaning grass or hay, each day. Grain is NOT a substitute for good feed. It is merely a supplement, and does not fill the ol' belly any more than a granola bar. Of course, like people, individual horses differ in their actual calorie requirement, and the richness of the feed must also be taken into account. _(i.e. alfalfa has more calories per pound than plain grass hay.)_ Adjustments must therefore be made according to the type of feed, the animal's level of activity, and how easily he maintains his body weight.


	5. What Are Some Typical Horse Colors?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dear Friends ~

BAY     
Brown body coat with a black mane and tail, and usually black legs. The brown can range from a bright, mahogany color, to a deep brown that is almost black, yet with brown around the muzzle, eyes and flanks. Often will have white markings on their faces, and may have white on one or more legs. 
SORREL     
A rich, solid red, which may range in hue from coppery to an almost brick red. This color may be accompanied by a contrasting, lighter mane and tail, or the coat and mane/tail may be of the same reddish hue as the body. White on the face and legs are common. Among working folk often the word "sorrel" is often dropped for just plain ol' "red." 
CHESTNUT     
A solid, monotone brown in varying shades. Most working horsemen would lump this in with "red," or else just call it "brown." 
BLACK     
True black has no brown or red tint in the coat, whatsoever. May or may not have white on legs and face, but the eyes are usually dark. I have seen golden eyes, a time or two, in true black mules. 
GREY     
Most white horses are truly grey. A grey horse is born dark, and lightens with age. In his youth, he will be black-to-charcoal colored, and may show a strong dabbling effect in his coat, particularly on his haunches and shoulders. As he nears his teens and gets into his twenties, his coat gradually bleaches out to white. Yet he will retain his grey skin pigmentation, which is most visible around his eyes, muzzle and genitalia. His eyes are dark in color, as are his hooves. Sometimes white on the face will give him a pink muzzle, but his overall skin color remains greyish. 
WHITE     
True white is fairly rare and is more rightly a lack of color, the near-absence of pigmentation. The horse is born white, and his skin pigmentation is very pale ivory with occasions of pink. His eyes will be blue or almost colorless, and his hooves will be ivory-white. This horse may have a hard time with extremes in sun and weather. 
PINTO / PAINT / PIEBALD     
In their most common sense, the words "pinto" and "paint" refer to a horse broadly splotched with areas of white and a darker color. That dark color may be any imaginable shade of red, chestnut, brown, black, gray, or bay. The pinto - also called "Piebald" in older days - pattern can range from almost pure white with a few random patches of color, to almost entirely colored with just a couple splash-marks of white on the body. Eyes can be any color of brown to golden, and a blue eye, also called a "glass eye," is not uncommon. Note; contrary to myth, there is NOTHING wrong with a blue eye, and it does not indicate blindness. 
ROAN     
This color has many manifestations. Basically, it is a dark coat that is dusted freely with white hairs, in a salt/pepper or cinnamon/sugar fashion. "Strawberry roan" refers to a roan whose primary color is red, yet the white dusting over it lends a pinkish hue. Sometimes the red roan coloring will appear distinctly orange. "Blue roan" is a roan whose coat is some shade of grey, the white hairs giving it a bluish cast. Often the roan coats will bleach out with age, creating an even stronger "frosting" effect. White legs and/or facial markings are common. Eyes are usually dark, but I've seen some with a blue eye. The mane and tail may be solid colored, either the same color as or darker than the under-color, or streaked with white or grey. 
BUCKSKIN     
A light cream to tan or golden color, with sharply contrasting black mane, tail and legs. Once in a while you'll find a bit of white on the face, or perhaps a white foot, but the eyes are dark, and the hooves are most often black. Traditionally, buckskins are regarded as very tough and hardy horses. 
DUN     
A tan, golden, light red, or sooty-tan body color, but with the mane and tail only a couple shades darker than the rest of the coat, or a dirty brown-black. Further trademarked by a darker dorsal stripe down the spine, and hints of zebra striping on the legs, which will also be a darker shade than the body. This is a very ancient coloring, dating back to prehistoric horses. May have a bit of white on the face or legs. The eyes are dark. An old-fashioned term referrs to this coloring as "line-backed dun," but the fact is, every dun has a stripe down his back. 
PALOMINO     
A blond to golden body color, with contrasting white or flaxen mane and tail, frequently accompanied by white on the face and legs. Eyes may be dark or golden. A palomino who lives and works outdoors will often bleach out to a very pale blond. 
GRULLA     
Pronounced "grew-yuh." Perhaps the rarest of horse colors, the body is a solid slate grey, ranging from almost dark steel blue to a lighter mouse grey. It will have a black mane and tail, black legs, and a black dorsal stripe down the spine. Sometimes faint primitive zebra striping is present on the legs. A striking and handsome color, when it is found. Seldom has any white markings, and if so, usually very little. 


	6. What Do You Call Markings on Faces and Legs?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dear Friends ~

Facial markings can be named as follows;

BLAZE     
A broad white stripe from the horse's forehead to his muzzle, may sometimes sweep over one or both nostrils. 
STRIPE     
A narrow white stripe, extending from forehead to, or almost to, the muzzle. May be straight or crooked. 
STAR     
Just as it sounds, a white star right in the middle of the horse's forehead. 
SNIP     
A little white stripe that is only on the horse's nose. 

Facial markings may also be mixed, such as a star on the face plus a snip on the nose, or a short stripe plus a snip. White may also appear to spill over onto the lower lip and chin.

Leg markings include;

SOCK     
White that covers the entire hoof, and can extend to anywhere from the ankle to the knee. 
CORONET BAND     
A white foot, but the fur coloring only encircles the upper edge of the hoof, (called the coronet band) and does not extend up the leg, at all. 

Some schools of thought say that a white hoof is softer, and therefore a more vulnerable foot. If a horse loses a shoe, or gets in rough, rocky terrain, the fear is that the white hoof will be more easily damaged. Others argue this as an old wives' tale, but I will share this tidbit from days gone by;

_"One white foot, buy him. Two white foot, try him. Three white foot, look well about him. Four white foot, go without him."_


	7. Horse, Donkey, Mule: What's the Difference?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dear Friends ~

**A Donkey** is a member of the ass family, that stocky little grey or brown, long-eared fellow you see being led around by prospectors in the old movies. A Burro is simply the Spanish word for the donkey, and is very commonly used in the American West. They often don't move terribly fast, and cannot carry large loads, but they are extremely hardy and resilient, able to survive on surprisingly poor feed and in very rough climates. They can be any shade of grey through brown to nearly black, with whitish around the eyes, muzzle, legs and underbelly, and sometimes are blotched in a fuzzy paint pattern.

**A Mule** is the hybrid offspring of a male Donkey and a female Horse. 99.9% of the time, a mule is born sterile, but the males do have to be castrated, to prevent stud-like behaviors. Once in a very great while, a female mule HAS been known to conceive and bear a foal, when bred by a stud horse. There is no recorded instance of a male mule being fertile. Mules can come in virtually any size and color known to the equine kingdom, dependent upon the mare and jack chosen for breeding.

The selling point of mules is that they inherit the size, strength, and speed of the horse, with the toughness, adaptability, and stamina of the donkey father. They stay fat on poorer feed than horses, can travel farther and longer with much less loss of condition, and generally do not take lame as easily as horses. Mules also identify with a mare, or any boss horse, as their mother figure, and thus willingly follow and stay with a herd on the trail. A good, bossy bell mare is of great value, in acting as "den mother" to a pack string or freight team, as her presence holds the group together. The mule's reputation for stubbornness comes not from brute refusal to work, but rather from the fact that mules are highly intelligent and very independent. A man can bully a horse into almost anything, but a mule will question and resist something that does not strike him as an entirely bright idea.

Donkey/Mule Gender;

This gets confusing, so pay attention!

  * A female donkey is a jenny. 
  * A male donkey is a jack. 
  * A female mule is a molly. She may also be called a mare mule. 
  * A male mule is a john. He may also be called a horse mule. 



You've got to wonder who those people were, that they named these critters after.... ;-)

If you reverse the cross, and breed a stud horse to a female donkey, you get something called a Hinny. It looks pretty much like a mule, although a little more horse-like in the face, and is sometimes, though not always, smaller than a mule. However, hinnies are not desirable, on account of they identify the donkey as their mother figure and leader. That means that a hinny will not want to stick around with and follow a herd of horses or other mules, or even a bell mare, when in pasture or on the trail. He will thus most likely become a stray problem. A mule, however, will identify with any boss horse, whether horse or mare, and tend to stick with the herd contentedly.


	8. Is a Pony Just a Small Horse?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dear Friends ~

Not exactly. They are separate breeds of the equine species, who are smaller than a horse, generally under 13 or 14 hands tall. Ponies come in many breeds and from many countries. They are usually the product of harsh environments, such as the Shetland islands, where economy of size was of benefit to the breed's long-term survival. They can be used to pull carts or as children's mounts, and some are large enough in stature to bear adult riders, but they can be very stubborn and hard-headed. Temperments do seem to vary according to   
the pony breeds.


	9. What is Colic?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dear Friends ~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> unlike dogs or humans, he cannot belch or vomit to relieve such distress, so unless he can pass the obstruction on through, he is in trouble. When colic symptoms are observed, a horse should be taken out and walked on a lead rope, and kept moving and on his feet, until such time as he evacuates his bowels normally, perhaps urinates, and becomes willing to stand and move quietly. This may take from twenty minutes to an hour or so, and can be helped along with an application of mineral oil, administered down the horse's throat. Nowadays there are also relaxing drugs such as Banamine, but back when, folks had to make do with more common remedies. A vet should be consulted in all cases, as the severity of a colic case is not always apparent to the eye.

Colic in horses is essentially a belly ache. Colic can come from several causes. Gas caused from rich feed or abrupt changes in feed is one possibility. Getting into very poor or moldy feed is another common cause. Water or feed given after a heavy workout, before the horse has cooled down, can also precipitate intestinal upset. Lack of activity can further contribute, as the horse was designed to eat while in motion, grazing, rather than standing in a stall all day. Obstructions in the intestines are another cause, which can happen when a horse has gone hungry and eats too much too fast, or does not get enough water to keep his system moving properly. Sand colic is similar, and occurs when a horse is fed on sandy ground, and consumes enough dusty feed to cause an obstruction. Parasites can be another culprit, which must be addressed by a veterinarian.

Symptoms of colic may include restlessness, visible discomfort, pawing at the ground, frequently looking at or kicking at his flanks and belly, and sweating on the neck and flanks. An ear placed to the horse's belly may note an absence of normal gurgling gut sounds. Also, a male horse may extend his penis as if to urinate, but will be able to do so. Finally, if the condition is severe, the horse may repeatedly try to lay down and roll. If a horse will lay quietly, he may be allowed to do so, but if he tries to roll, he must be returned to his feet. The risk here is that he will roll so violently as to twist his gut, which can be fatal. _NOTE:_ unlike dogs or humans, he cannot belch or vomit to relieve such distress, so unless he can pass the obstruction on through, he is in trouble. When colic symptoms are observed, a horse should be taken out and walked on a lead rope, and kept moving and on his feet, until such time as he evacuates his bowels normally, perhaps urinates, and becomes willing to stand and move quietly. This may take from twenty minutes to an hour or so, and can be helped along with an application of mineral oil, administered down the horse's throat. Nowadays there are also relaxing drugs such as Banamine, but back when, folks had to make do with more common remedies. A vet should be consulted in all cases, as the severity of a colic case is not always apparent to the eye.


	10. Horse Trivia

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dear Friends ~

  1. Horses cannot throw up. 
  2. Horses cannot breathe through their mouth, like a dog, but they can cough. 
  3. The hoof is actually one, big middle toe. The remaining toes were long ago transformed upwards into the bones of the lower leg. 
  4. Horses' feet stink, when trimmed. 
  5. There is a gap between the front, nipping teeth and the grinding molars in the back, which is where the bit rests in their mouth. The bit should never touch any teeth, but rather rests on the bare gums, the "bars" of the mouth. 
  6. Shod horses have to be trimmed and reshod regularly, _(every 4-6 weeks,)_ whether or not they are being ridden, or the hoof will grow out like a big fingernail. This can cause accidents from tripping and falling, and can also create structural problems, as over-long hooves can eventually result in unnatural strain to tendons, joints, and ligaments. Left a habitual condition, poorly-trimmed feet can result in permanent disfigurement and even lameness. An unshod horse will wear down his hoof naturally, but it is good policy to keep him properly and evenly trimmed. 
  7. Horses are NOT as vocal as movies make them seem. Mainly, horses vocalize for three reasons; hunger, loneliness, and anger. They do not cry out in fear, like a dog yelps, but rather will react to fear by snorting explosively and trying to flee. Horses have a very high pain threshold, and only in dire extremity will they cry out in pain. _(Twice, very sadly, I've seen horses break their legs in tragic falls, and they made not a sound.)_ Ordinary horse sounds include nickering in hopes of food, nickering or neighing to attract another horse's attention, and squealing in anger or irritation, a sort of a "get away!" noise. Stallions of course can be quite vocal, and mares may also make gentle sounds to their young. However, horses generally have very little to say to humans, unless they want something to eat. 



_Compiled Sept 2002. All errors are the fault of the writer. ~ Erin_


End file.
